New salsa bands and fan favorites featured in this popular outdoor dance party for all ages, July 5 until August 30

The Autry National Center presents its 2012 Sizzling Summer Nights with new bands and legends of the salsa music scene. This popular outdoor dance party for all ages features L.A.'s best salsa bands, hot-off-the-grill food, ice-cold drinks and spirits, open museum galleries, a separate children's dance floor, dance lessons, and more.

See top Latin bands in a fun, casual, energetic setting on the Autry plaza. The stellar lineup of bands brings high-energy music that is fun for dancers. Salsa instructor Trish Connery of Dance Chatter will show visitors basic dance moves to get them out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Bands include veterans of the L.A. salsa scenes including Yari Mor?®, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, Chino Espinoza y Los Due??os del Son, Johnny Polanco, and other greats. The taco and drink bar opens at 6:00 p.m., and the museum and the Autry Store both stay open until 8:00 p.m.

"Sizzling Summer Nights at the Autry has become one of the most pleasant surprises that the Los Angeles salsa scene has to offer," said Latin music writer/author Ernesto Lechner. "As a journalist specializing in Latin music, I look forward to every single performance--and the opportunity to see the city's finest salsa bands in such a wonderful setting."

Autry Members: Free
Adults: $10
Students with current ID and Seniors 60+: $6
Children (3ÔÇô12): $4
Children under 3: Free
Purchase membership on-site and enjoy all nine Sizzling Summer Nights for free!

2012 Sizzling Summer Nights Lineup

July 5, 2012 - Chino Espinoza y Los Due??os del Son - Vocalist Mirley Espinoza, also known as "Chino El Sonero" by his fellow musicians, joined the Opa Opa International Orchestra in 1990 and went on to record his first CD for Warner Brothers in 1995. Chino then took advantage of the many offers he received to become a member of other top musical groups, including the Malibu Salsa All Stars, the L.A. Jazz All-Stars, the RMM All-Stars Band, and the Tito Puente with Eddie Palmieri Tribute Orchestra. Chino currently resides in Los Angeles, and together with Dimelo! Records he has assembled a new big-band salsa orchestra called Los Due??os del Son.

July 12, 2012 - Angel Lebron y Su Sabor Latino - A native New Yorker living in Los Angeles, Angel Lebron and his band Angel Lebron y Su Sabor Latino bring the sound of New York City classic street salsa to the West Coast. They honor the musicians of the Paladium era with songs by Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Eddie Palmieri, and many more. Angel's own grandfather, Antonio "El Mosquito" Camacho, was a background singer for the Paladium's Mambo King Machito.

July 19, 2012 - Orquesta Tabaco y Ron - Orquesta Tabaco y Ron is a 12-piece big-band orchestra composed of musicians from all over Latin America, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico. Their high-energy, hard-edged brand of salsa music has appealed to devoted salsa dancers and Latin music DJs worldwide, and their contagious rhythms produce an energy that revives the almost extinct salsa sound of generations past. Tabaco y Ron has recorded four studio albums, a remix production, and multiple compilations exclusively for Dimelo! Records.

July 26, 2012 - Conjunto Afro-Son & Friends - Conjunto Afro-Son is a collaboration of seven talented musicians from different parts of North, Central, and South America living in Los Angeles. Their lifelong musical inspirations are such salsa pioneers as Conjunto Libre, Johnny Pacheco, Pete "Conde" Rodriguez, Hector Casanova, and Willie Colon. The group has the eminent ability to continue the legacy of conjunto music at its best.

August 2, 2012 - Octavio Figueroa y La Combinaci??n - Since moving to Los Angeles in the '80s, Octavio Figueroa has become a well-known figure in the local Latin-salsa music scene. After leading the prestigious La Sorpresa Salsa Orchestra, he formed La Combinaci??n with Peruvian sonero Willy Cadenas. The group now performs at Los Angeles' top salsa venues such as the Conga Room, the Century Club, and the Rumba Club.

August 9, 2012 - Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca - Ricardo Lemvo has established himself as a pioneer with his innovative music. Lemvo's blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and pan-African styles (soukous, Angolan semba, and kizomba) has been described by the Los Angeles Times as "seamless and infectious." Since forming his Los AngelesÔÇôbased band Makina Loca in 1990, Lemvo has refined his craft and vision, raising his joyous voice with strength, singing songs that celebrate life, and most importantly, inspiring his audiences to let loose and dance away their worries.

August 16, 2012 - Yari Mor?® y su Orquesta - Known as the "romantic of salsa," and a veteran of the global salsa scene, Yari Mor?® will sweep you off your feet with his smooth voice and high-energy orchestra. He earned respect singing in Ecuador and El Salvador with various bands. After moving to the United States to expand his r?®sum?®, he began winning competitions such as the OTI song festival for three consecutive years, and won national recognition by winning Star Search.

August 23, 2012 - Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad - Johnny Polanco is one of the most sought-after band leaders in the U.S. He has gained this distinction for making the type of contagious Latin music that is truly appreciated by salsa dancers worldwide. Empowered by the extensive knowledge he has accumulated throughout nearly 35 years of professional musicianship, the leader of L.A.'s Conjunto Amistad is an autodidactic artist who has achieved a high degree of skill on 13 instruments, including the tres and cuatro guitars, trombone, and vibes.

August 30, 2012 - Orquesta Son Mayor - Son Mayor began playing 18 years ago and is now one of the most popular and sought-after Latin bands in Los Angeles. In fact, L.A. Weekly named it "Best Salsa Band" in its annual Best of L.A. edition. The success behind the music has led the band to open and perform alongside top artists such as Chucho Valdez at the Hollywood Bowl, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Sonora Ponce??a, Oscar D'Le??n, El Canario, Ozomatli, and Los Mu??equitos de Matanzas, as well as an exclusive audience for Jennifer Lopez's wedding in 2001 and an Arista Records after-party for Clive Davis.